by MK Meredith
He swallowed hard. “I admit, I was not honest or decent in the beginning, but as I got to know you, it all changed. I was desperate to save Nonna, and arrogant enough to bully my way through as I always had. But you’ve taught me so much about business with people first. And then I tried to erase the mistakes I’d made, but the all-powerful businessman no longer held any weight in a town full of family.”
She wanted to believe, she wanted to open her heart and let him in, because all her pain would disappear and her future would be possible in a way she’d never imagined.
But fear and distrust kept her lips sealed.
Gripping her hands, he gave them a small shake. “I love you. I don’t think I do, I know I do. I always knew I wanted the world, but I didn’t realize until I met you what that meant. You are my world.”
Her heart wavered. Could she trust him ever again? Addi’s words echoed in her mind. Think I’m a good person? Because I was desperate once, too. Chase dabbed at the corners of her eyes with the pads of her fingertips. She looked over the petition and then back at the man she’d loved since he’d pulled the chair out for his grandmother at dinner, way back when.
With trembling fingers, she touched his cheek. “I want to trust you.”
He dipped his chin. “I’ll earn it. It may not be immediate, but I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Turning his face into her hand, he kissed her palm, and she felt it all the way to her heart. She didn’t need to find her way back to Ferrara, because Ferrara had found its way back to her. Home and family had a way of doing that. And home wasn’t always perfect. It was a work in constant progress. But as long as they were both working toward each other’s happiness, they couldn’t lose. She looked at her father, and he dipped his chin. Her mother’s eyes shone bright with unshed tears. Turning back to Drago, she whispered, “Don’t hurt me like that again.”
He blew out a breath, squeezing her hand. “I can’t promise I won’t hurt you, but I promise to spend my life trying to fix it if I do.”
She smiled.
“It’s about time, Coconut,” her father said.
A dainty squeal escaped between her mother’s fingers and she watched expectantly.
Chase’s mouth fell open as she shot a glance toward her father. “You knew?”
Drago grinned. “Coconut? Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Don’t even think about it,” she warned him.
Mr. Huntington harrumphed. “When we sent you there, you couldn’t wait to come home, but when the time came to hand over the reins, you couldn’t let go. It was so clearly more than the business, honey. It was your heart.”
Drago stood, then helped her to her feet. “Then it’s a yes?”
Chase laughed, pulling him down to her. She hesitated, her lips a hairbreadth away from his. “Yes. I miss Ferrara and Nonna and…even the Dragon.”
He growled, then closed the distance between them for a quick, tight kiss.
Her heart swelled as the familiar sensations rocked through her body. This was what home felt like.
Once he set her away from him, he turned to her father. “Thank you, sir. I know this will be a great partnership.”
Mr. Huntington shook his hand. “We’ll look at the specifics later. Maybe a trip to Ferrara is in store so we can meet this Nonna we’ve been hearing so much about.”
Chase grabbed Drago by the hand and pulled him behind her. She looked back at her parents. “May I?”
Her mother grinned. “Go.”
Her father nodded with a small sigh of acceptance, then sent her a determined look. “I’ll set up a meeting with the board. Faced with the work you’ve done and the business sense you showed, I’m certain they’ll agree to your new position.”
Chase and Drago rode the elevator in silence, then she led him through the lobby to the back doors of the hotel and out to the beach. As soon as they hit the warm, humid, salty air, she launched into his arms.
He caught her with a grunt, and she rained kisses all over his face. She found his mouth, then slowed down, sliding her lips against his. “The last few days have been really tough for me.”
Squeezing her to him, he nodded. “I’m so sorry. I was blinded by my own shame and stress. And I put that on you. But then I fell in love. Fell for the amazing, go-get-’em American that Ferrara was so enamored with, and I realized none of my mess was your responsibility.”
“So you’re not going to keep running?”
He angled his head and looked at her through narrowed eyes. “How’d you know I was running?”
“When someone stays away from people who so obviously love them, I figure they must be running from something. What you have in Ferrara is what I’ve always dreamed of.”
He held her face between his hands, his eyes serious and shining with emotion—a sight not often seen from the Dragon. “Well,” he said, “you don’t have to dream any longer.”
…
Chase squeezed Drago’s hand tight as the car pulled into town. An immediate drumming set up in her heart, and she rubbed her chest.
“What’s that for?” Drago asked, pulling her into his side in the backseat of the car.
She glanced at him and smiled. “Something your grandmother told me once. She said that when I felt the pulse of my city in my veins, I’d know I was home.”
“And?” he asked.
Leaning toward him, she placed a kiss at the edge of his mouth. “Welcome home.”
He grabbed the back of her head, demanding much more than the chaste kiss she’d attempted, and she sighed. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d ever felt so energized, so wanted and loved.
With great effort, they broke away, resting their foreheads together. Drago’s gaze was light and happy and full of promise. “Come,” he whispered, then tapped the window for the driver to assist them from the car.
“They’ll take our things to the hotel. There are plenty of people who want to see you, Coconut.” Drago put his hand out for her with a wink.
With a strong sense of contentment, she slid her fingers through his. His warmth ran along the strong pulse in her veins right to her heart. They walked to the cathedral and found the market in full swing.
Chase pulled in a deep breath. “I love the smell of Ferrara.”
Signor Poppa waddled to her with a huge grin. “Bella!” He wrapped her in a warm embrace, then handed her over to his daughter, Maria.
The bakery owner, the mayor, and Signor Giardino all embraced her in welcome one by one. Chase had barely lifted her head to pull in a breath as Nonna pulled her in for a hug. “Cara. I’m so glad you’re home.”
And just like that, Chase knew. She felt the pulse of the city, of the people, in her veins. They’d become a part of her, as she’d become a part of them.
Drago slid his arm about her waist and squeezed her in tight. He kissed the top of her head and whispered, “I can’t wait to get you all alone.” He threw her a lascivious grin. “That reminds me…I have something for you.”
She leaned back and eyed him up and down.
Sliding his hand between their bodies, he pulled something from the inside of his jacket, then held it up in between them. She looked at the brown paper-wrapped package with a raised brow. It was about six inches long and tied with a short piece of twine.
“I promised to give you the best biscotti in Ferrara. This is Nonna’s secret recipe. Nothing else like it in the world.”
Chase looked from the wrapped biscotti to the sincerity in Drago’s eyes, trying to control the laughter threatening to spill from her lips as she thought back to the first day she saw him leaning against the light post. She should have listened to her first instinct about him back then—he’d been nothing more than a predator scoping out his prey—but she let herself get distracted by his potential with baked goods.
And thank God she had.
Carefully, she lifted the crisp cookie from his hand and opened the packaging. “I knew from the first time I saw y
ou that you knew how to handle your biscotti.”
Drago’s laughter floated off with the Ferrara breeze as he yanked her to his chest for a swift kiss. “Admit it. It’s the best, and you were tempted from the beginning.”
Chase wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back with all her hopes and dreams fueling her now-favorite pastime. “Best in Ferrara, as you promised.”
As she held him to her and looked around her city, the deepest recesses of her soul settled. There was no telling who seduced whom, and in the end, it didn’t matter.
She was home.
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Acknowledgments
To my children and husband, otherwise known as my heart and soul, thank you for believing in me and always knowing I could do this even when I didn’t. I love you. To my big brothers, Tommy, Todd, and Billy—as goofy as I am, you’ve always held me up. To Paula, my sister of the heart, I’m forever in awe of you. And to my mom, who’s continued to mother me from the other side, I hope I have a fraction of your grace. Thank you. To Kathy and Jim Krans, you have a special place in our hearts.
Thank you to my agent, Jill Marsal, for your kindness and for pushing me for more. It’s a lovely feeling to know I’m not alone in this dream of mine. Thank you to my editors Kate Brauning and Naomi Hughes for helping me make Seducing the Tycoon my favorite book. You two ladies get me. To Entangled Publishing, thank you for giving this writer a home. Thank you to the marketing team—you hold a special place in my heart—to the production team and everyone in between. You’re my very own superheroes.
Robin Covington, you are a force of talent, strength, and beauty. Thank you for your friendship and the kind words on the cover of this book.
I tried to really capture the feel of beautiful Ferrara, but if any mistakes are found, they are completely mine, and I apologize. I love the romance of this Renaissance city. Thank you to Charlotte Shafer for making me fall in love with Ferrara in the first place. Your experiences there, your photos, and your stories made me love the town and the people. Thank you for the long phone conversations helping me get my details just right. Thank you, Jessica Snyder, for your critique efforts in helping me make this book better and for always listening to my ramblings. Thank you to Senada Sabovic and Gianluca Barbone of Bari, Puglia, Italy, for helping me with my Italian translations. Thank you to Gina L. Maxwell and Cindi Madsen for sprinting with me to get all the words. Thank you to L.T. Kelley for your continued love and support; so sorry I missed you last round! Thank you to my street team, MK & CO, for your friendship and for believing in me. I love everyone in this family, from the very first to the still-to-come.
One more exuberant thank-you to the readers of this book. Experiencing life with you in this way is magical. I hope that at least one scene, one line, or simply one word resonates with each of you. And to my sisters and brothers in the fight against breast and all types of cancer. I know both sides, having lost my mom to breast cancer at a young age, and having survived cancer myself. My writing is one of the things that carries me through. I have many more books to write.
Thank you.
Hugs, loves, and peanut butter,
MK
About the Author
MK Meredith writes single title contemporary romance promising an emotional ride on heated sheets. She believes the best route to success is to never stop learning.
Her lifelong love affair with peanut butter continues. Only two things come close in the battle for her affections: gorgeous heels and maybe Gerard Butler…or was it David Gandy? Who is she kidding? Her true loves are her husband and two children who have survived her SEAs (spontaneous explosions of affection) and live to tell the tale. The Merediths live in the D.C. area with their two large fur babies…until the next adventure calls.
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